Escaped
by Hisui98
Summary: Janice Pallice has just been hired as an assistant maid to Mey-Rin at the Phantomhive Estate, but something is off about her...what could it be?


It's been two weeks since I got kicked out of the manor you were serving in London. I need to find somewhere new to work or I'm going to starve. I check the boards every day to look for jobs, but none of the families in the area are hiring. I've considered going and asking for a job, but I know how risky that can be. I shudder at the thought as I go up to the job post for the 15th day in a row.

This time, the regular flyers are there, but something catches my attention. A clean cream piece of parchment tacked up that says―could it be?―hiring!

~Phantomhive Estate, One day earlier~

Knock-knock. Sebastian knocked gently on the door to his master's study. He needn't disturb Ciel as he worked.

"Come in" the boys voice stated from behind the door.

Sebastian opened the door and walked in with a pastry on a plate.

"I have a rather important matter to bring up with you" Sebastian said

"What could that be?" Ciel queried "Has the Queen contacted us?"

"Actually no," his butler replied "It's about Mey-Rin"

"What about her?" Ciel asked

"She broke some more fine china," the demon stated "and I was wondering if you would agree to hire another maid to assist her"

"Hm," Ciel considered the idea "I suppose if you think it would be best"

"Alright," said Sebastian "I will post the availability tomorrow"

"Thank you Sebastian" Ciel said as he waved his butler out.

Sebastian then left, and went to write a note on some fresh parchment

~Back to today~

I cannot believe it! It says that the Phantomhive manor is in need of a new maid to assist the Earl Phantomhive daily! Food is provided…as is a room!

"Yes!" I exclaimed in the middle of the crowd "I finally have a chance!"

I continued to read. It says to stop by the manor for an interview and gives the address. I immediately turned and began to walk in the direction of the estate. It's not too far from here, so it won't take long. But wait, shouldn't I clean up first? My clothes are dirty and torn in places, my long, straight hair has become wild and messy, and I look as famished as I am.

'_Well, I can't do anything about that last one,' _I think '_But with nowhere to clean up, it'll have to do'_

~le time skip~

The mansion is beautiful, and quite larger than the place I used to serve. I nervously approach the door, doubts swarming in my mind, and use the knocker to knock on the door with my frail hands.

"Yes?" A man whom I presume to be a butler says as he opens the door

"H-hello I'm here to apply for the maid job?" I say shyly

"Why yes, come on inside," Sebastian welcomes "May I ask your name, m'lady?"

"Janice" I state, trying to seem stronger than I am. I've learned through the years that if you seem strong, you're more likely to be hired, although that is difficult in my starved state.

"My name is Sebastian," the butler says.

Sebastian leads me to the parlour and gestures for me to sit. I'm reluctant to sit on the nice furniture with my dirty clothes, but I do as he insists.

"So tell me about yourself" Sebastian says warmly as he sits in the chair across from me.

"Well," I say hesitantly, I must choose my words carefully in order to get this position "I am 17 years of age, I live independently, and as of two weeks ago I am in need of work" I state. I've lived on my own on the streets since I was 14 and my parents passed away. Well, actually they were killed in a fire that ravaged our village. Only I and one woman, not much older at the time than I am now, survived this disaster.

"I see," Sebastian ponders "and what brought you to need work?"

I bow my head slightly with nerves. This is where things get tricky.

"I was sadly laid off of my work at the Smith estate in Cornwall"

"Were you told why you were laid off?"

"Yes sir," I say, my palms beginning to sweat "Something happened, something I'd rather not say, that caused me to leave without notice, so as you may guess, Lord Smith was displeased with this"

Sebastian thinks for a moment, looking me up and down as if assessing my abilities.

"Thank you," he says "I must consult with the Earl, then I will tell you whether or not you have the job."

I nod.

"Wait here" he says as he goes upstairs.

I do as he says, afraid to even look at any of the precious items in the room.

Knock-knock. Once again Sebastian knocks on his master's door.

"Come in" he says, not unlike yesterday

"There is a girl here whom I have interviewed for the maid position," Sebastian says matter-of-factly "Would you like to speak to her?"

"Depends." His master says "Do you think she has a chance?"

"I believe she does"

"Alright then," the young Earl says as he stands up from his desk "Take me to her."

His butler obeys, and the boy soon emerges into the parlour and looks at me in the same way his butler had before. I stand in the presence of the boy who might soon be my new master.

The boy is small, unlike I had expected. He looks like he could be a mere thirteen years of age. He wears an eyepatch over his right eye and walks with a cane. It looks rather strange to see a small boy dressed and acting as if he were a man four times his age.

"What is your name?" the boy asks.

"Janice" I reply obediently.

"You may stay seated, you know" he says, noticing my posture.

"Yes sir" I say obediently, taking the seat where I was before.

"What makes you think you have what it takes to work here?"

"I'm a hard worker, and obedient as well." I say "I will do anything you wish, sir."

"Hm," he says indecisively, looking at my body again, assessing my strength. After a few moments, which felt like ages, he says;

"You may call me your lord from now on. Welcome to the Phantomhive Estate"

"Thank you s―my lord!" I say with a curtsy "Is there anything you'd like me to do at the moment?"

"Just follow Sebastian up to your room," He says, nodding to his butler "And please, change into something in there. You look terrible." The boy makes his final statement as he turns on his heels and goes back upstairs.

"Right this way, m'lady" Sebastian says to me.

I follow him upstairs to a medium-sized room, much larger than the one at my previous manor.

"I hope you don't mind," Sebastian says "You'll be sharing a room with our current maid, Mey-Rin."

"No," I assure him "I don't mind at all."

"Good." He declares "Now, since the master wishes for you to change, you may borrow some of Mey-Rin's clothes"

"Thank you." I say, as Sebastian leaves, shutting the door behind him.

I can't help but let out an excited giggle at the new room. The walls are covered with mauve wallpaper with swirls ordaining it, and there is already a second bed in the room. I walk over to the mahogany wardrobe and gently open it, looking at the dresses and aprons within. One in particular catches my eye, a jade green one, similar to my eye colour, with a fresh ruffled white apron already tied to it.

I pull the dress out and gently take it off of the chicken-wire hanger. I slowly strip myself of my dirty garments, folding them nicely in a pile in the far corner of the room should I need them again, and I slip the new dress on.

It is made of cotton, not unlike my tarnished dress, however this dress has been freshly washed, and feels soft and fluffy against my skin. I adjust the tie on the apron to fit my waist just as the door opens. I immediately snap into my lady-like, attentive posture to see a girl a few years my senior with broken glasses, purple hair, and a dress to match. _'This must be the other maid' _I think.

"Oh!" She says "You must be the new maid! My name is Mey-Rin, and we'll be working together!"

The girl is very friendly, causing me to relax my posture as I introduce myself.

"My name is Janice, and yes, I am the new maid." I say with a smile

"Well it's nice to meet you!" She exclaims "Welcome to the Phantomhive Estate!"

I laugh slightly at the girl's over-the-top nature, but I must wonder what caused her glasses to break. I've been beaten by my master before last, and it certainly was not pleasant, but I can get used to it. I look at her arms, face, and neck, the only parts of her I can see, looking for bruises but instead finding uninjured, porcelain skin.

"Thank you, Mey-Rin" I say "Do you know if there's anything we're supposed to do right now? The lord said that he only wanted me to get changed, which I have, but I feel uneasy not doing anything when I'm supposed to be working. Surely you understand?" I ask hopefully

"Oh yes, yes I do!" Mey-Rin says "But I actually don't think there's anything to do around here until it's time to prepare dinner."

"I see…" I say tentatively

"But I could introduce you to the others!" She suggests

"Others?" I ask "There are more people working here?"

"Why yes, yes there are," she begins "There's Finny, Bard, and Tanaka! Let me show them to you!"

She makes her last statement eagerly whilst grabbing me by the wrist and running downstairs with me staggering in tow. She runs me outside to the courtyard, right up to a slight, girlish boy.

"This is Finny," Mey-Rin says "he's the gardener! Finny, this is Janice, she's our new maid!"

"What?" Finny asks, with a shocked expression on his face. His eyes widen to an adorable, almost puppy-like expression "You mean they're replacing you?" he asks, looking right at Mey-Rin.

Mey-Rin laughs loudly.

"Of course not, Finny!" she says "She's just here to help out! I heard Sebastian say so yesterday when…" she blushes and bows her head slightly "When I broke the china trying to dust the cabinet"

Well, at least that proves that the Earl does not beat his servants, for even Lord Smith would surely beat me if I broke a cabinet of fine china!

"Oh~!" the boy says, realizing why I'm here "Well welcome, Janice!"

"Thank you, Finny." I barely get out before Mey-Rin starts dragging me back into the house towards the kitchen

"BA~RD!" She shouts. My eyes widen, as surely the Earl will not appreciate her being so loud. _'He must be very accepting'_ I think to myself.

"Yeah?" a deep voice says from the kitchen. I notice that there's quite a bit of smoke, and hope that the mansion isn't about to burn down.

We round the corner to peer into the kitchen, where a tall, stocky man is fanning away the leftover smoke from a fire that is now a pile of ashes.

"Meet our assistant maid!" she says, pushing me into the kitchen. I fan the smoke away from my face and try not the let my eyes water from it.

"Assistant maid?" The man asks, looking down at me but still fanning the smoke "When was it decided we'd have an assistant maid?"

"Yesterday, didn't you hear?" Mey-Rin asks him

"No," he says "no I didn't. Well hello then, miss! What's your name?"

"Janice" I say, almost fearing I'll wear it out from all of the introductions. How many servants does a young Earl need?

"Welcome, Janice!" He says, just like the others "I'm Bardroy, you can call me Bard and I'm the cook"

"I can tell" I say, smiling but coughing slightly.

"Let's get you out of here before you suffocate!" Mey-Rin says with a cough, grabbing my wrist a third time.

We walk around, seemingly aimlessly for a bit before coming across a small, strange-looking old man drinking tea.

"And lastly," Mey-Rin declares "Meet Tanaka!"

The old man makes a strange sort of laughing sound, nodding slightly at me.

"My name is Janice" I say, one last time.

"Tanaka doesn't do much around here anymore," Mey-Rin says, a twinge of sadness in her voice "He's grown old, but the lord is fond of him like the rest of us, so he stays"

I nod understandingly as the sound of a grandfather clock rings four times.

"Oh my!" Mey-Rin says "That's time to begin the dinner preparations!"

"What exactly are we supposed to do?" I ask her nervously. My first dinner on the job is crucial, and I mustn't mess it up!

"We get the china―oh dear." She says, eyes widening

"What?" I ask, stress clear in my voice.

"Oh!" She exclaims, her expression brightening back up "I was going to say I broke the china, but we have a spare set this way" She says, pointing to a cabinet down the hall.

I head to it with her, each of us carrying one set each, since she informed me that the Earl will be having a guest this evening. She leads me into the dining room, where we begin to set the table accordingly.

And then BOOM! Another loud noise erupts from the kitchen. Sebastian rushes downstairs to see what had happened, and Bard offered the following explanation;

"There was some raw meat on the counter, so I figured I'd cook it…uh, with a flamethrower…"

I have to hold back from face-palming at his explanation.

As Sebastian was retreating back upstairs to our lord, he glances out the window to see that all of the plants in the previously lush courtyard have turned yellow and died!

We follow him outside as Finny gives a similarly ridiculous explanation;

"I tried to use undiluted weed-killer!" he cries "I thought it would be super effective!"

Sebastian then takes the four of us into a hallway where we can be spoken to alone.

"Everyone, listen carefully to what I'm about to say and act immediately" Sebastian says, as if he were the Earl, giving us orders.

"We'll manage with this."

Is he out of his mind?! All we have is some meat that's burnt on the outside and raw inside, dead plants, and less than par china! How are we supposed to impress the guest?

Turns out, he had a plan.

Apparently Sebastian is quite knowledgeable about Japanese rock gardens so he swiftly―as a matter of fact, _superhumanly _swiftly―arranged one in the courtyard, much to our guest's surprise, as obviously illustrated on his expression when he arrived.

Upon the man's arrival, he is shown upstairs by Sebastian, where he engages in one of Funtom's best-selling board games with the Earl as they talk business.

Sebastian told Bard to just slice up the poorly cooked meat, and so he did, as Finny watched intently out of boredom. Sebastian came downstairs to check after the guest was settled.

"How are the preperations?" He asked.

"I'm doin' it," Bard replied, slight confusion in his voice "But is this really good enough?"

"Yes," Sebastian assures "That's perfect."

And it turns out that Mey-Rin and I forgot to get the spare glasses and silverware out of storage.

"You can just stay here," she told me "I can get them"

And so I did. Turns out Mey-Rin can be quite clumsy.

"Hm…" Mey-Rin pondered as she looked at the china boxes in the basement "Maybe I ought to bring up all of the boxes rather than just the ones we need tonight. We'll need them eventually!" She tried to balance them in her arms, doing well as she headed up the stairs, but once she began to rush…

"S-Sebastian!" Mey-Rin exclaimed as she tripped over her own feet.

Luckily Sebastian got into the hall in time, as he was able to balance the boxes in one hand and on the tip of his foot and still catch a tumbling Mey-Rin in his arms, causing her face to spread with a bright blush.

"I can't believe you" Sebastian says "How many times have I told you not to run in the manor?"

"I'm so sorry, yes I am!" Mey-Rin apologizes "My glasses are cracked and I can't see where I'm going!"

Sebastian doesn't respond, but called the other three of us over there.

"Good work," he says "Leave the rest to me and take a break."

A break? On a night where a guest visits?

No matter my inner protests, I nod obediently and go with the others to the servant's quarters to relax.

At dinner time, Sebastian miraculously moved the table out to the newly-formed stone garden, where Mey-Rin and I are called to by Sebastian to serve wine. I pour a glass carefully for the Earl, being careful not to spill it on my first night, and forcing myself not to comment on the fact that he is certainly underage.

"Mey-Rin" Sebastian says quietly. It is at this point that I realize my co-worker hasn't even left the cart!

"Y-yes sir!" Mey-Rin says, seemingly oblivious to what is going on.

Sebastian then goes right up to her and whispers in her ear, "Don't just stand there; pour him a glass of wine!"

I hold back a chuckle as I could swear I'd seen a new crack appear in her glasses along with the blush returning to her face. She's definitely got a thing for Sebastian.

"R-right!" She stutters "Yes!"

She then goes over to the guest's glass, mumbling about something under her breath, clearly in a daze and―misses his glass entirely. But no, it doesn't stop there! She keeps pouring! My eyes widen in shock as I try to catch her attention and get her to stop. But before a single drop flows onto the ground, Sebastian bursts over and pulls the tablecloth off in one motion without so much as stirring the dishes.

Now I know something is strange about him. First, he put up an all-new rock garden in less than an hour, his blood-red eyes, and now this? What is he some kind of―and that's when it hits me. _Sebastian is a demon! And Ciel is in a contract with him!_

**How does Janice know about demons? About Ciel's contract? Find out in the next chapter!**

**Also: HOT DAMN THAT WAS A LONG CHAPTER IT WAS OVER 3,000 WORDS~! And yes, the wardrobe in Janice and Mey-Rin's room? THAT IS MAHOGANY!**


End file.
